In today’s connected world, IP-based security systems offer numerous breach points for cyberattacks. The vulnerability of these systems is quite a conundrum, so the biggest question is how we can make these physical security systems more secure.
Cybersecurity challenges are not theoretical but real and can lead to catastrophic failures. At the national level, the main threat of cyberattacks mostly comes from other nation states and terrorists. Nevertheless, there are also many criminals working independently. Common scenarios warn of cyberattackers taking over power plants or water facilities and bringing the country to a standstill.
The attacks can take many forms. They can be as rudimentary as walking up to a camera and connecting to it physically. Conversely, they can be sophisticated operations like zero-day exploits, where attackers take advantage of security holes in the software that vendors are not aware of.
A unique problem in the cybersecurity sphere is posed by the availability of information out there that can increase the capabilities of these cybercriminals. Cyberattacks can also be used for industrial espionage and other threats – exposing medical records, financial information, credit card numbers, etc. In the past, hackers would steal the data and try to sell it online. Today, ransomware is a more popular option whereby hackers encrypt the data and demand money for its release.
Determining the need for increased security
To circumvent possible attacks, many integrators add additional layers of defense. However, is it really worth the effort? To determine this, integrators can do two things: perform a balanced risk assessment that will evaluate the real risks their clients are facing or try to assign the risk an estimated monetary value.
Risk evaluation
To estimate threat levels, integrators need to consider several factors: the intent and capabilities of the attackers, the vulnerabilities of the site and the consequences of such an attack. When there is a high threat level, integrators should alert their clients and make sure they make the needed changes to the size and scope of the project to ensure its security. For example, by deploying secure switches that can separate networks from one another and protect data transmission or use other hardened equipment to make sure it is harder to breach the network perimeter.
Estimating monetary value
By assigning monetary value to risk, integrators and clients can keep costs under control and make sure they don’t “spend a million dollars on a 10,000 dollar problem.” The following formula is recommended to estimate the monetary value of the security solution: Probability*Impact = Estimated Monetary Value.
So for example, if the impact of an attack is the loss of 100,000 dollars, and the probability of an attack is 10 percent, then the monetary value of the solution is 10,000 dollars. In this case, investing more than that in securing the system might be overshooting.
As technology grows to be more advanced, cyberattacks in physical IP security systems has become more evident. It is vital, first and foremost, to protect the clients’ assets but also to prevent any possible damage to the manufacturer or integrator’s reputation if the system gets compromised. Awareness and commitment are the most essential factors for successful cyber protection.